Spanish school; c. 1700.

Spanish school; c. 1700.
"Portrait of Philip V.
Oil on paper glued to canvas.
Presents faults.
Preserves frame of the seventeenth century in carved and polychrome wood.
Measurements: 40 x 33 cm; 46 x 40 cm (frame).
Portrait of Philip V of Spain, also known as Philip of Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV of France, was proclaimed king in 1700 after the death without descendants of Charles II of Spain, thus inaugurating the Bourbon dynasty and putting an end to the house of Habsburg on the Spanish throne. From the artistic point of view, these official portraits are part of a new conception of the royal image. In this case, the composition of this work is influenced by the French model established by Hyacinthe Rigaud. These are grandiloquent compositions, carefully constructed to exalt the authority, legitimacy and magnificence of the monarch. The figure of the king appears dressed in Versailles-style courtly attire, highlighting the characteristic powdered wig, and accompanied by symbolic attributes such as the Golden Fleece or the baton of command, which reinforce his status as absolute sovereign and his link with the European dynastic tradition.
Beyond its artistic value, this type of portrait reflects a moment of profound renewal at the Spanish court. The reign of Philip V involved the implementation of a centralized model of government, materialized in the Nueva Planta Decrees, as well as a transformation in cultural and aesthetic forms, with the introduction of French taste in Madrid.